Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has slammed the federal government for launching pre-poll rigging plan in Azad jammu and Kashmir (AJK) ahead of the general elections in the area. In a statement on Sunday he said, “By selectively distributing development funds to candidates belonging only to PML-N, the federal government has resorted to a worst form pre-poll rigging that must not be allowed”. He said that PPP condemns this devious scheme to manipulate elections and demands that this illegal practice should be stopped immediately. He said that by announcing development projects at this point and allocating funds to PML-N candidates is equivalent to buying votes adding that distributing the Kashmir Council funds among favorites is an insult to the mandate of people. Bilawal said, “He was shocked over the devious methods adopted by the federal government to manipulate the forthcoming elections in AJK. He said that there are also disturbing reports that non-Kashmiri Pakistani citizens living in the country have been registered as voters in various constituencies in connivance with some federal government agencies. Bilawal said that by adding new voters in lists sent by Azad Kashmir Election Commission is not in the domain of NADRA. The PPP wishes to put on notice all departments to be careful and not give into the inducements or threats that may be hurled at them to rig the Kashmir polls. He said that it appears that the PML-N leadership has not learnt any lessons from its mistakes and is bent upon repeating them. It will be most unfortunate and undermine political stability if the forthcoming Kashmir elections that lost credibility even before the elections would be held. The PPP cannot and will not permit any gerrymandering in the elections.